How To Demolish A Community
At present I am an artist-in-residence in Bajesdorp, a small community in Amsterdam. However, perhaps not for very much longer. The community is facing a difficult future. The Dutch government has sold the land it stands on to a developer. In a few short months they...
Did Marilyn Monroe Have Unfinished Business?
I recently published my third novel, the second in a series about a witch with a twist. In The Promptuary I introduce a gone, but not forgotten, twentieth century icon. I’m sure you have heard of Marilyn Monroe. Early on in the writing process I established a sort of...
How Transforming Into A Refugee Drives Creativity
I have spend just over two weeks as an artist in residence in Bajesdorp and the village keeps throwing up surprises. Not everyone here is an artist, but that does not mean they don’t do other inspiring things. I have learned that several members of the community are...
Celebrating Becoming An Artist In Residence
I’m not entirely certain becoming is the right word. In the case of the artist part, I am already one. I reside in a world of creativity. There you go. A statement I never thought I’d proclaim. I reside in artistry. A World on its End I have had a tumultuous time over...
Mr. Lee And Tuk-tuk Number 3
Angkor Wat is one of many temples around Siem Reap—one of very many temples. We were tourists for a day. Mr. Lee was our tuk-tuk driver. He said he lived 10kms out of town and was trying constantly to get us to book him for more trips. I understand completely, it is...
Attempting to Dissect a Bad Review
I recently received a rather confronting review on Amazon about my novel Loreless. Some of it was positive, some bordering on an insult and, in part, outright scathing. At least that was how I read it and I feel compelled to react. As an author, I have been advised...
9 Great Flicks at the Rotterdam Film Festival 2017
Every year I travel to Rotterdam for their international film festival. There is always something inspiring to see. Writing is my passion and so is cinema. Nothing really beats images when you wish to convey a story. I was quite satisfied with my choices this year and...
Don’t Look Back In Anger
One of the finest songs Noel Gallagher ever wrote was “Don’t Look Back in Anger”. I rediscovered it yesterday and it is stuck in my head and won’t leave me alone. I was a fan of Oasis in their early days. Then they lost it and they lost me. I was only interested in...
Should Patti Smith have won the Nobel Prize?
A few months ago, in March of 2016, I saw Patti Smith perform for the first time. Before seeing her live show I knew her music but nothing about her background, nor anything about her real personality. I was both impressed and moved by her performance. At the Nobel...
How To Write A Really Big Story
I find myself in unknown territory. A year ago I started writing a story about a witch. It almost grew by itself. At some stage I decided the story had the potential to be bigger than just one book. This is when I realised I should write a series. I put the idea aside...
Adventures in Cambodia: Surviving an Embassy Excursion
A little over a year ago my family had a stopover in Cambodia on our way to visit relatives in Australia. We had some interesting experiences in what is a very colourful country. This was one of them. My son needed a new passport. He also needed one fast. We were...
A Croatian, An Australian, And A Dutchman Walk Into A Studio
Locked together for a weekend in Sing Sing Studio, they discussed the state of world affairs, exchanged life experiences and shared personal insights. They listened intently to a songwriter screaming his lungs out and tried to formulate a cunning plan. After three...
Is Writers Block A Figment Of Your Imagination?
What is writers block? What is any form of creative block? Is it real or is it invented? I don’t know whether what I’m experiencing is a block. I only realised it when I wrote the title to this post. I gave it that name, but is it really what I think it is?...
Never Lose Sight Of The Big Picture
I just discovered this stream of consciousness. I wrote it a few months ago. Sometimes, its good to have this kind of thing to put it all into perspective. Lack of a view of the big picture happens to be one of the biggest battles with writing professionally. The...
What Happens When You Drop A Bomb On An Ancient Civilisation
In the novel Loreless I touch on a few major moments in modern Aboriginal history. I do this by way of describing the fictional experiences of the ancestors of the protagonist Billy. In each case I tried to put myself into the mind of the ancestor; the characters...
Acting, Opportunities And The Advantages Of Persistence
I could have been an actor. It just didn’t pan out that way. Life doesn’t always give you the chance to take every offer that comes along. Fate hangs it tantalisingly in front of your face and then whips it out from under your nose. Then you are left with...
The Passing Of Daisy Bates
During the writing of Loreless I did an enormous amount of research, much more then I could ever actually use in the book. I have decided to share some of this information, and at the same time, give you a bit of an insight into the writing process. In the book there...
Great Uncle Josiah Goes To War
My great-uncle Josiah was in his sixties when he enlisted. Like many men during the Great War he faked his age in order to be accepted. What made his story different from most was that he lowered it. Most men put their ages up. He said he was forty-four. I don’t know...
The Not So Great War
Over a hundred years ago, my grandfather went off to war. He was young, and possibly, panting at the bit to go. He may have gone earlier if it hadn’t been for age restrictions. It was to be a great adventure. Every able-bodied man wanted to be part of...
10 Best Films At Rotterdam Independent Film Festival, 2016
For the past few years I have religiously spent a few days at the end of January in Rotterdam at the International Film Festival. This year was no different. Well, it was a bit different. I usually go at the beginning of the 10 day festival, this time I went at the...
The Library
Here I am again in the library. Not just any library. This one is special. When I first decided to write seriously this was one of my first discoveries. Like a lot of discoveries, you want to keep it to yourself. If too many people know about it then it won’t be a...
Hobby Is A Dirty Word
Yesterday, I had a bit of a moment. My so-called hobby was challenged. Over the past few months I have steadily been building up momentum as an author. I set up a website. I have had my book edited, I have had a cover designed. I have absorbed oceans of tips on...
We Can Be Heroes
The week that was, last week, was quite something. We lost, or I lost, I don’t know what your opinion is on this, two heroes. If I stand corrected, it was actually three. One was buried and the others actually did the passing on. I suppose you could consider them...
The Bureaucrat
He peered up at me from his little hole and hissed, “Tip”. “Huh?” Again, this time a little louder and a lot more snake-like. “Tip!” The penny dropped. “Aah.” We had just spent the best part of an hour trying to get...Discover a part of Australia you never imagined existed.
Read Loreless
Do you like stories about witches? Ghosts? Powerful entities? You must meet Anaïs Blue.
